The European Union - Politics and Policy: "The current round of enlargement is threatening to destabilise the relationship between small and large member states?"

Résumé de l'exposé

The main institutions of Europe are the Commission, the Council and the Parliament, and they are the symbols of a successful European integration. They maintain a certain balance of power between the small and large member states and this balance has been maintained for about 45 years. Since the current situation of enlargement is mainly an addition of a large number of small states : it increases the importance of maintaining the balance between the large and small states, and it also arises the crucial question of how to reform the institution system effectively. Is it a matter of equality versus efficiency ? Is the current situation of enlargement threatening to destabilise the relationship between the small and large member states ?

Sommaire de l'exposé

How to re-balance the voting power between small and large states before enlargement?

Within the Council of Ministers

Within the European Parliament

Within the decision of 'enhanced co-operation?

Conclusion

Extraits de l'exposé

[...] This is why dealing with the current round of enlargement is taken so seriously. Indeed an ill-conceived reform of the European institutions might lead to strong and destructive oppositions. Whereas the larger member states will not accept to be tied down by a swarm of small state, in the smaller states the populations ?wishing to remain what they are' may lose their European fervour, and in Central and Eastern Europe disappointment with the European Community could make the people turn towards other models, and thus threaten the stability of the region. [...]

[...] Since the current situation of enlargement is mainly an addition of a large number of small states : it heightens the importance of the balance between large and small states and results in the crucial question of how to reform the institution system effectively. Is it a matter of equality vs. efficiency? Is the current round of enlargement threatening to destabilise the relationship between small and large member states? I. What kind of balance between large and small states the actual system permits? [...]

[...] The european union: politics and policy Question: current round of enlargement is threatening to destabilise the relationship between small and large member states'. Discuss. TABLE OF CONTENTS Cover page: Table of contents: Introduction: What kind of balance between large and small states the actual system permits? The difficult shaping of a new Commission: How to re-balance the voting power between small and large states before enlargement? -Within the Council of Ministers: -Within the European Parliament: -Within the decision of ?enhanced co-operation': Conclusion: Bibliography: Introduction After the two devastating world wars in the first half of the Twentieth century, a type of ?United States of Europe' (Victor Hugo) was seen as the only possible framework for the development of a well-balanced, prosperous and democratic Europe. [...]

[...] Thanks to this present system a balance between small and large member states is assured. However the enlargement threatens this actual balance and may disadvantage the large countries because the system would not cope with dozen of states, all small, except Poland. Unmodified, the numerical superiority of small countries will give them a permanent potential majority in the Council, even if the 6 big states will account for 80% of the enlarged EU population. To prevent the Council of Ministers becoming too unrepresentative in terms of population, the smaller states agreed that the large countries should get increase in votes which compensate for the immediate loss of their second Commissioner, since the two reforms are linked and viewed as a package deal. [...]

[...] How to re-balance the voting power between small and large states before enlargement? 1. Within the Council of Ministers The balance of the voting power is a crucial issue since it determines the political weight of each of the members of the EU. Today the five large states which represent 295 millions of individuals have 48 votes whereas the ten others countries with a total population of 76 millions people own 30 votes. The representation of the small states in detriment of the large put at risks the balance of the Community after enlargement. [...]